Permian Basin adds 8 rigs this week

Midland County count stands at 39, up 1

thawes@mrt.com

Published 1:32 pm, Friday, April 14, 2017

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Permian Basin adds 8 rigs this week

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The Permian Basin ended the holiday-shortened week with 339 rigs, the most in more than two years, according to Baker Hughes. The nation’s most active basin jumped eight rigs this week and has added 72 rigs year to date.

Reeves continues to be the most active county in the Permian with 51 rigs, up one. Midland County recorded 39 rigs, also up one.

Railroad Commission District 8 was down one rig to 220. For other areas with activity in the Permian, District 7B was unchanged at three, District 7C bumped two higher to 40, District 8A held steady at 21 and New Mexico jumped seven to 55.

The Permian had 141 rigs a year ago.

TEXAS & NEW MEXICO

Texas’ rig count was up slightly this week, adding two rigs for a statewide total of 420. The Eagle Ford in South Texas rose three rigs to 75. The Haynesville and Granite Wash were each down one to 37 and nine, respectively. The Barnett was unchanged at five.

There was one rig offshore, and there weren’t any in inland waters.

New Mexico recorded 58 rigs, and all gains were in the Permian. It rigs outside the Permian were in San Juan County in the northwestern part of the state.

Last year, there were 194 rigs in Texas and 19 in New Mexico.

UNITED STATES

The U.S. added eight rigs this week for a total of 847. The oil rig count rose 11 to 683, but natural gas rigs fell three to 162. Miscellaneous rigs held steady at two.

Almost all rigs are on land, where 10 more went online for a total of 823. One rig went offline in inland waters, leaving three. All offshore rigs were in the Gulf of Mexico, which fell one to 21.

By drilling trajectory, there were 706 horizontal rigs, up 11; 77 vertical rigs, up four; and 64 directional rigs, down seven.

The U.S. had 440 rigs a year ago.

MOST ACTIVE

Basins with the highest rig counts were the Permian, the Eagle Ford, the Cana Woodford (52), the Marcellus (45) and the Williston (43).

States with the most activity were Texas, Oklahoma (125), Louisiana (58), New Mexico and North Dakota (43).

CANADA & NORTH AMERICA

Canada’s rig count fell 14 to 118, but it’s nearly three times higher than the year-ago tally of 40. There were 40 oil rigs this week, down two. Natural gas rigs dropped to 78 after 12 rigs were idled.

The total number of rigs in the North America region fell six to 965. Last year, there were 480 rigs in North America.

This week’s Baker Hughes rig count data was published Thursday because of the Good Friday holiday.

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The following are county-by-county Permian Basin rig counts for the week ending April 14.